The Wikileaks website released a statement announcing Assange’s newest endeavour: A political television show.
Hosting a TV show is a new area for the 40 year old Australian native whose Wikileaks website says that "iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders" will be featured on the show, so he can challenge them on their view of global affairs and their stands on "how to secure a brighter future."
According to the website the show’s theme will be "the world tomorrow" which is due to begin in March with 10 weekly half hour episodes.
The TV project comes at an interesting point for Assange, as he is in the process of appealing his extradition to Sweden. The Wikileaks founder must answer to the Supreme Court on 1 Feb to claims of sexual assault and rape made by two previous Wikileaks volunteers. Assange is also the subject of an ongoing U.S. Grand Jury investigation which has been going strong for nearly a year and a half.
In a statement on the website Julian Assange said:
"Through this series I will explore the possibilities for our future in conversations with those who are shaping it. Are we heading towards utopia, or dystopia and how we can set our paths? This is an exciting opportunity to discuss the vision of my guests in a new style of show that examines their philosophies and struggles in a deeper and clearer way than has been done before."
The network for the TV series is not yet known, but the site claims that initial licensing commitments cover over 600 million viewers across cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcast networks. [See updated footnote]
Whether Assange will actually be able to host the TV show following his upcoming court appearances is another question altogether.
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UPDATE: The State-run channel, Russia Today has bought rights to broadcast the 10 part television series. The channel has been used by many voices as a platform to express anti-western conspiricies. The channel along with the Russian government have been supportive towards Assange since his arrest in 2010 for alleged crimes of a sexual nature against two women, both former Wikileaks volunteers.
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